Admissions FAQ

1. How is a mission-appropriate student defined?
2. What are the required elements of an applicant file?
3. What characteristics and components are considered when reviewing applicant files and making decisions?
4. What is the Financial Aid Policy?
5. How many openings are there in each grade?
6. From what schools do your applicants come?
7. How many applications do you have for each opening?
8. What happens after we submit the application and how do we know if everything has arrived by the deadline?
9. What does it mean if my child is waitpooled or denied admission?
10. Can my child re-apply next year if not admitted this year?
11. What about diversity?
12. Should I apply if my child has special learning needs or conditions that may require special accommodations?
13. What process is used to evaluate applications?
14. What is the composition of the admission committees?
15. How much weight is given to the various elements in the application?
16. What is the Related Admission Policy?
17. What can I do to increase my child's chance of admission?
18. If my child is admitted, are there other responsibilities that I as a parent should know about?
19. What is the school's expectation of parents in terms of contributions and other fundraising activities?
20. Do you admit International students?
21. Do you provide bus service?
22. How do I get to the Overlake School?
23. What is the Malone Scholarship?

Q1: How is a mission-appropriate student defined?
A: The Overlake School is a co-ed, grade 5-12 college preparatory independent institution that provides a balance between a rigorous academic curriculum and a vibrant co-curricular program. Overlake seeks to enroll students with promising academic capability and the potential to contribute to campus life in a unique and meaningful way. Well-rounded students who have a love of learning as well as a variety of interests, skills, talents and backgrounds in academic and non-academic areas contribute to the school's community of learners.

Q2: What are the required elements of an applicant file?
A: A complete applicant file consists of the following elements:

• Application & Application Fee
• Parent Essay Responses
• Student Essay Responses & the Sports/Activities Sheet
• Transcripts from the current academic year and the prior two years
• Two Teacher Evaluation Forms from current teachers - due January 17, 2008.
1. For grades 5 and 6, give one form to your current grade level teacher and the second form to a specialist or previous year's teacher.
2. For grades 7-12, have one evaluation form completed by a current English or Social Studies teacher and the second by a Math or Science teacher.
• Results of the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) which includes a writing sample
• Any additional standardized testing reports (if available), i.e. Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), WASL, Scholastic Aptitude
• Test (SAT), Practice Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and others
• Applicant/Parent Interview Summary
• Other supplemental materials provided by the family, current school or Health care professional (optional)

Q3: What characteristics and components are considered when reviewing applicant files and making decisions?
A: In addition to reviewing all required documentation (Refer to Q2), Committee members consider the following: academic ability, attitude, emotional maturity and sociability, character, activities and interests, outstanding talent, diversity, and any relationship to the school. Other factors taken into consideration include the number of openings available per grade level, gender balance, the composition of the current class which means the chemistry, personality and interaction of classmates at a given grade level. In essence, the "match" or "fit" between the school and the applicant is an extremely important one. Careful consideration is given to each and every applicant.

Q4: What is the Financial Aid Policy?
A: Overlake's Financial Aid Program supports the school's goal to increase socioeconomic diversity in the classroom, meet enrollment goals, promote access and opportunity to qualified students and support The Overlake School mission.
The Overlake School Financial Aid Committee offers aid to qualified students on the basis of financial need and the availability of funds. Financial Aid decisions are made independent of admission decisions; all accepted students who qualify for aid and meet financial aid application deadlines will be offered an award, though we may not be able to meet every family's full need.
Families must apply for Financial Aid each year so that we can determine changes in their financial situation and take into consideration any tuition increases or other factors that may affect the tuition award. Overlake strives to provide the original level (as a percentage of tuition) of funding through graduation provided the student continues to qualify for that level. This provides a sense of security to the family and aids in retaining students.  

Q5: How many openings are there in each grade?
A: Each year we begin with a new class of 32 fifth graders (two sections of 16). In sixth grade, we add 16 new students, at seventh grade we add 16 new students, and at ninth grade we add 11 new students. There may be additional openings due to attrition in grades six through twelve.

Q6: From what schools do your applicants come?
A: We receive applications from many schools including out-of-state and international schools. The greatest numbers of applicants live in Redmond, Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Issaquah, with over a dozen other communities represented. Approximately 35% of our applicants attend public schools, 64% attend independent schools and 1% are home schooled.

Q7: How many applications do you have for each opening?
A: In general, and depending on grade level, about one in three applicants are admitted.

Q8: What happens after we submit the application and how do we know if everything has arrived by the deadline?
A: Admission staff will call you to acknowledge the receipt of the application. At that time, we will schedule the applicant/parent interview and invite your child for an optional school-day visit. As the other required elements of the application are received by Admission, they are added to the applicant file. In February, we will notify you if any elements are still missing from the file, and a postcard will be sent to you when the file is complete.

Q9: What does it mean if my child is waitpooled or denied admission?
A: Each year we receive applications from many more qualified candidates than we have openings. Decisions to admit, waitpool, or deny candidates are heavily dependent upon the pool of students applying. In addition to the academic and social profile of each applicant, we try to determine the right balance of skills and interests that each student could bring to the group. Waitpooled candidates are re-evaluated if space becomes available in the grade to which they applied.

Q10: Can my child re-apply next year if not admitted this year?
A: Yes, both waitpooled and denied applicants may submit a new application in subsequent years. It is processed just as if it were the first application, including a re-take of the ISEE, current teacher recommendations, and new essays. The previous year's file is available to the current Admission Committee for review.

Q11: What about diversity?
A: At Overlake, we believe that an environment with people of diverse backgrounds adds to the quality of education. The Admission Committee will conduct the admission process to achieve a class composition that is balanced and diverse in many respects. In addition to academic achievement and ability, applicant qualities and characteristics to be considered, include, but are not limited to: gender, socio-economic status, racial, ethnic and cultural background, and life experience.

Q12: Should I apply if my child has special learning needs or conditions that may require special accommodations?
A: In reviewing applicants for Overlake, the Admission Committee takes into consideration the overall ability of the student to be successful academically and socially in a rigorous academic environment. We find that some students who have special learning needs requiring minimal accommodations are able to do well at Overlake. All applicants, regardless of special learning needs, will be considered in the review process. However, it is important that parents know that we do have limitations regarding the types of accommodations we are able to provide, and in order for us to make well-informed decisions regarding an applicant with special learning needs, we require that parents fully disclose in the application all relevant information regarding the child’s learning needs. We have a learning specialist in our Learning Resource Department who reviews the information provided by the parents and with the applicant’s best interest in mind helps determine if Overlake is an appropriate placement wherein he or she can be successful.

Q13: What process is used to evaluate applications?
A: Grade-level committees of faculty members, administrators, and admission officers make admission decisions. Each completed file submitted by the deadline is independently reviewed by several committee members. After files are read and evaluated, the full committee meets to discuss the applicants and make admission decisions.

Q14: What is the composition of the admission committees?
A: The Director of Admission organizes and trains faculty and administrators to serve on admission review committees. The Director of Admission and the Director of Diversity sit on all committees. The Middle School Head sits on the four middle school committees. The Head of the Upper School and Dean of Students sit on the upper school committee. There are three committees at the middle school level, 5, 6, and combined 7 & 8. There is one upper school committee encompassing grades 9-12. Committees range from 7 to 10 members. In order to ensure the integrity of the process and to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest, faculty members serve on a grade-level Committee other than the grade level that they principally teach. Committee members also follow a recusal guideline which means that if a Committee member has a personal relationship with the applicant or the applicant family, they will decline the opportunity to evaluate the applicant’s file.

Q15: How much weight is given to the various elements in the application?
A: The Admission Committees look at all elements very seriously. Every element presents a unique look at an applicant’s academic and personal characteristics, which helps the Committees form an impression of the child as a whole.

Q16: What is the Related Admission Policy?
A: The Admission Committees recognizes that related families may want their child(ren) to attend The Overlake School. Related applicants are defined as siblings of current students, and the child(ren) or relatives of our alumni, faculty/staff and Trustees. Related applicants are given extra consideration in the admission process. Extra consideration means that Admission Committee members who are reading applicant files know of the related status and that the committee discusses the related status during its meetings to select applicants who will be offered admission. While related status does not guarantee admission, since each applicant will be considered based on his/her own merit, being a part of the related group is an extra, positive factor that the Admission Committees interpret as contributing to the school community. Related status may serve as a tie-breaker in some situations.

Q17: What can I do to increase my child's chance of admission?
A: Meeting the application deadline and submitting a completed file is essential. Overlake seeks children who do well in school, academically and socially, who love learning and those who enjoy pursuing new opportunities.

Q18: If my child is admitted, are there other responsibilities that I as a parent should know about?
A: Parents are expected and encouraged to get to know their child's teachers and support the child's academic and co-curricular activities. In addition, parents play a vital role in the success of the Overlake community. The Parent Faculty Staff Association (PFSA) supports the school and its programs by sponsoring monthly meetings, parent education seminars, social events, teacher/staff appreciation, an annual auction, a grants program for special projects, athletic booster club, Overlake Friends of the Arts, Parent Net and the ski bus program.

Q19: What is the school's expectation of parents in terms of contributions and other fundraising activities?
A: Like most independent schools, Overlake charges tuition which covers approximately 93% of the cost of educating each student. The other 7% comes from contributions to the Annual Fund and the Overlake PFSA Auction. In addition, the school periodically undertakes capital campaigns to raise funds for specific projects—most recently the performing and visual arts buildings, the new gym, the athletic field and the endowment. We ask every family to contribute to the Annual Fund and the Auction each year and to make as generous a gift as possible to current and future capital campaigns. In addition, various campus organizations like the athletic Booster Club and Overlake Friends of the Arts conduct fundraisers and there are often student-driven fundraisers for a variety of purposes. Your family can choose to participate in some, all, or none of these fundraisers.

Q20: Do you admit International students?
A: The Overlake School welcomes applications from International students. Entering students must be fluent in English and able to fully engage in a college preparatory curriculum. The Overlake School does not offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. All applicants, regardless of citizenship, submit the same application materials, including the results of the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE). After an International applicant is offered and accepted enrollment, Admissions will assist the student in completing the I-20 form. Students are responsible for finding their own housing. We do not have dormitories nor do we arrange homestays.